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<h1><span style="font-size:13.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";font-variant:small-caps">FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
<o:p></o:p></span></h1>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">May 1, 2016<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<h3 align="left" style="text-align:left"><b><span style="font-size:18.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">CLEVELAND’S CLASSIC COMPANY
<o:p></o:p></span></b></h3>
<h3 align="left" style="margin-bottom:14.0pt;text-align:left"><b><span style="font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">AT THE HANNA THEATRE PRESENTS
<o:p></o:p></span></b></h3>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:18.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">THE WORLD’S LONGEST RUNNING MUSICAL<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<h3 align="left" style="text-align:left"><b><span style="font-size:30.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">THE FANTASTICKS<o:p></o:p></span></b></h3>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:150%"><span style="font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif";color:#322C2A"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#322C2A">CLEVELAND, OH -
<strong><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Great Lakes Theater </span>
</strong>(GLT), Cleveland’s Classic Company, concludes its 2016-17 season with the classic musical,
<em><b><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">The Fantasticks</span></b></em>. The production will be performed in the company’s intimate and audience-friendly home at the
<strong><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Hanna Theatre, Playhouse Square, May 13-29</span></strong>,
<b>2016.</b> <strong><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Victoria Bussert
</span></strong>directs the production. <i>The Fantasticks</i> is presented through special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI).<br>
<br>
<strong><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Generous support for <i>The Fantasticks</i> was provided by the Kulas Foundation. The production is part of the Kulas Musical Theater Series at Great Lakes Theater. Production support was also generously
provided by John and Barbara Schubert. </span></strong><strong><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";font-weight:normal">Great Lakes Theater is supported in part by
</span></strong><strong><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">the residents of Cuyahoga County
</span></strong><strong><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";font-weight:normal">through a public grant from</span></strong><strong><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> Cuyahoga Arts & Culture.
</span></strong><strong><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";font-weight:normal">Season support is provided by</span></strong><strong><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> The Cleveland Foundation
</span></strong><strong><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";font-weight:normal">and the</span></strong><strong><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> Ohio Arts Council.
</span></strong>Media sponsors for GLT’s 54th season are <b>The FORM Group, Ideastream (WCLV 104.9 FM and WCPN 90.3 FM)
</b>and <b>WKSU 89.7 FM</b>.<br>
<br>
<b>A charming and romantic musical about one young couple, two "feuding" fathers and an infinite love that transcends over time,</b>
<i>The Fantasticks </i>whimsically whisks audiences on a journey of imagination into a world of moonlight, magic and memory. Along the way, love is found, lost and rediscovered again after a poignant realization that "without a hurt, the heart is hollow.”<br>
<b><br>
</b>Director <b>Victoria Bussert</b> balances the professional and academic worlds, dividing her time between an active career as an award-winning freelance director while holding the position of Director of Music Theatre for Baldwin Wallace University. Nationally,
her work has been seen at Manhattan Theatre Club, York Theatre, New World Stages, Goodspeed Opera, Playhouse Square, Portland Stage, Dallas Theatre Center, Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park, Pegasus Players, Anchorage Opera,
Dobama Theatre, Cleveland Play House and Beck Center for the Arts, among others. Her international credits include
<i>Friar Tuck</i> in Russia, The Who’s <i>Tommy</i> in Brazil, the Danish premiere of
<i>Avenue Q</i> (2012 Reumert Award nomination) and the European premieres of <i>
[title of show]</i> and <i>Lizzie</i> for the Fredericia Teater in Denmark. Prior to her teaching career, Victoria served as associate director for Great Lakes Theater and continues her long association with the company as resident director, most recently directing
the award-winning <i>The Secret Garden</i>. Upcoming projects include <i>My Fair Lady</i> for Idaho Shakespeare Festival,
<i>Forever Plaid</i> for Lake Tahoe Shakespeare Festival and <i>West Side Story</i> for Baldwin Wallace University.
<br>
<br>
Great Lakes Theater’s<strong><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> acclaimed home at the Hanna Theatre
</span></strong>features a visionary<strong><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">
</span></strong>“Great Room” inspired design that <strong><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">integrates the artist and audience experience into a single unified environment.</span></strong> Hanna patrons select from a
<strong><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">variety of seating opportunities</span></strong> including traditional theater seats, club chairs, lounge/bar seats, banquette couches and private box seating. Arranged in an intimate 550-seat thrust configuration
where the <strong><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">audience surrounds the stage, no seat is further than 12 rows from the performance</span></strong>.<br>
<br>
</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><strong><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#322C2A">Great Lakes Theater will continue to afford patrons extraordinary access to its artists and production process at every Hanna Theatre performance of
</span></strong><em><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#322C2A">The Fantasticks</span></b></em><strong><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#322C2A">.</span></strong><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#322C2A">
The Hanna always opens its doors <strong><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">ninety minutes before each performance</span></strong> allowing
<strong><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">patrons to observe the complete pre-show preparation process
</span></strong>of GLT’s actors and technical staff. Elements traditionally hidden from audiences such as stage combat rehearsals, dance calls, prop/scenic pre-sets, technical cue rehearsals and actor warm-ups will be conducted in full view of patrons, offering
GLT audiences an unprecedented glimpse into the theatrical process.<b><br>
<br>
<strong><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Great Lakes Theater will also renew its
</span></strong><em><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">New Deal</span></em><strong><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""> pricing initiative this spring - designed to increase accessibility for audiences.</span></strong></b> As part of
the program, <strong><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">adult</span></strong>
<strong><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">tickets begin at $15</span></strong> and
<strong><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">student tickets for any seat at any performance are $13</span></strong> - making GLT one of the most affordable entertainment options in the region.
<b><br>
<br>
<strong><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">The Opening Night (also Press Night) performance of
</span></strong><em><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">The Fantasticks</span></em></b> is scheduled for
<strong><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Saturday</span></strong>, <strong>
<span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">May 14. </span></strong>A preview performance is scheduled for the preceding Friday night evening (May 13). Curtain times for all evening performances will remain at 7:30 p.m., with a 1:30 p.m. curtain time for
Saturday matinees and a 3:00 p.m. curtain time for Sunday matinees.<b><br>
<br>
<strong><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Single performance tickets range in price from $15-$70 (Student tickets are $13)</span></strong></b> and are available by calling
<strong><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">(216) 241-6000</span></strong>, by
</span><strong><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">ordering online</span></strong><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">
<span style="color:#322C2A">at <b>GreatLakesTheater.org</b> or by visiting the Playhouse Square Ticket Office.
<strong><span style="font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Groups of ten or more receive discounts of up to 25% by calling (216) 241-5490 x302.</span></strong>
<br>
<br>
</span><b>Great Lakes Theater, the first resident company of Playhouse Square, </b>
has brought the pleasure, power and relevance of classic theater to the widest possible audience since 1962. On its main stage and through its extensive education programming,
<b>Great Lakes Theater</b> <b>positively impacts the lives of</b> <b>over</b> <b>
100,000 adults and students annually</b>.</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#322C2A"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""># # #<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";text-transform:uppercase"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";text-transform:uppercase">Media Contact:<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Todd Krispinsky,
<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"">Director<b>
</b>of<b> </b>Marketing and Strategic Advancement<br>
(216) 453-4449<br>
<a href="mailto:tkrispinsky@greatlakestheater.org">tkrispinsky@greatlakestheater.org</a></span><span style="font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif""><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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